You find a small book - well pamphlet really. It was wrapped in plastic, then covered with foil, "No doubt to protect it from weather and animals," you think. The cover has but one word on it "Quintilian."
As you open the pamphlet, the first section is given to a biography of Quintilian, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintilian, where you read of his life and times in the first century. The text highlights and bolds the passage, "He is believed to be the 'earliest spokesman for a child-centered education'.”
The next section notes the commonality of the Latin words for "school" and "games," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludus_(ancient_Rome). You observe that board games are specifically mentioned, along with role playing games, and "knucklebones," a game McGonigal mentioned in one of her talks, that is more like playing with dice.
Finally, there are sections from Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory, Starting with Volume 1, Chapter 1, Paragraph 20, http://rhetoric.eserver.org/quintilian/1/chapter1.html#20, you note that he mentions teaching as amusement, competition, and rewards based, all game dimensions. Paragraphs 24(b) through 29 give an example whereby Quintilian mentions the use of toy letter shapes mixed in different combinations to help children learn the shapes of the letters, rather than a pure lecture and recitation style common in his day.
Performance Record: Write a discussion of "Quintilian" (subject) and his work in the first century Roman context for up to 5 XP as a PILGRIMAGE on your Adventurer's Blog.
As you open the pamphlet, the first section is given to a biography of Quintilian, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quintilian, where you read of his life and times in the first century. The text highlights and bolds the passage, "He is believed to be the 'earliest spokesman for a child-centered education'.”
The next section notes the commonality of the Latin words for "school" and "games," http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludus_(ancient_Rome). You observe that board games are specifically mentioned, along with role playing games, and "knucklebones," a game McGonigal mentioned in one of her talks, that is more like playing with dice.
Finally, there are sections from Quintilian, Institutes of Oratory, Starting with Volume 1, Chapter 1, Paragraph 20, http://rhetoric.eserver.org/quintilian/1/chapter1.html#20, you note that he mentions teaching as amusement, competition, and rewards based, all game dimensions. Paragraphs 24(b) through 29 give an example whereby Quintilian mentions the use of toy letter shapes mixed in different combinations to help children learn the shapes of the letters, rather than a pure lecture and recitation style common in his day.